I NEED MY SPACE
We all understand this need to have our own space and not to be crowded in by other people, at least for some part of our life.
So before we at last turn exclusively to the behavior of humans, it is valuable to describe two more animal distances for which there seem to be obvious human parallels; the minimum and maximum distances maintained between animals of the same species under particular circumstances. The lesser of these distances is the minimum distance a species will maintain separating its members under normal circumstances.
Confusingly Hediger first used the phrase ‘personal distance’ to apply to this, and hence the common use of ‘personal space’. This use of the word ‘personal’ is understandable, since the distance is not one universally followed by a species but rather depends upon the social status of the individual animal in its society.
Dominant animals are given greater personal distances by the other members of their family, group, tribe, pack or whatever social organization the species exhibits. Our own human variant of this distance suffice to say that we also tend to afford larger distances to individuals of high rank. The spaces in which this needs to be enforced, such as courtrooms or royal palaces, traditionally not only use divisions in plan to separate the judge or king from the commoners, but also changes in section to place them higher in space. The very phrase ‘high rank’ indicates a sophistication of the human language of space beyond that found in animal behavior. Since we are able to construct spaces, we can also engineer changes in height. Higher locations are generally associated with prestige and seniority we speak of ‘looking up to people we respect and admire, and we talk of the upper classes in our society, we keep on top of problems at work. The higher floors of hotels usually have the most expensive rooms, and the prestigious penthouse suite is always at the top of its building.
So before we at last turn exclusively to the behavior of humans, it is valuable to describe two more animal distances for which there seem to be obvious human parallels; the minimum and maximum distances maintained between animals of the same species under particular circumstances. The lesser of these distances is the minimum distance a species will maintain separating its members under normal circumstances.
Confusingly Hediger first used the phrase ‘personal distance’ to apply to this, and hence the common use of ‘personal space’. This use of the word ‘personal’ is understandable, since the distance is not one universally followed by a species but rather depends upon the social status of the individual animal in its society.
Dominant animals are given greater personal distances by the other members of their family, group, tribe, pack or whatever social organization the species exhibits. Our own human variant of this distance suffice to say that we also tend to afford larger distances to individuals of high rank. The spaces in which this needs to be enforced, such as courtrooms or royal palaces, traditionally not only use divisions in plan to separate the judge or king from the commoners, but also changes in section to place them higher in space. The very phrase ‘high rank’ indicates a sophistication of the human language of space beyond that found in animal behavior. Since we are able to construct spaces, we can also engineer changes in height. Higher locations are generally associated with prestige and seniority we speak of ‘looking up to people we respect and admire, and we talk of the upper classes in our society, we keep on top of problems at work. The higher floors of hotels usually have the most expensive rooms, and the prestigious penthouse suite is always at the top of its building.
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